APPENDIX H.
ANNUAL REPORT (FINANCIAL YEAR 1946-1947)
QUARTERING AUTHORITY.
The main duty of the Quartering Authority's Office was to ensure as far as possible an equitable and economical distribution between Government, the Services and the commercial community, of European type houses and flats held on requisition or administered by the Custo- dian of Property, or offered for sale or lease to Government or the Services. A committee comprising representatives of the Services and Civil community was appointed with which the Quartering Authority consulted.
In addition to the above there was the necessity to obtain releases of civil property from the Services and to return by derequisition these released properties to their rightful owners.
On 1. 5. 46, the date when Civil Government took over, 173 pro- perties in Hong Kong 352 in Kowloon were held under requisition, of these properties the Royal Navy held forty-two, the Army 312, the R.A.F. 103 and Hong Kong Government 68. Derequisitioning in the following twelve months brought these figures down to, in Hong Kong 106 and in Kowloon 196. The respective holdings of the Navy, Army, Air Force and the Hong Kong Government were changed to 55, 102, 78 and 77.
The staff of this Office in the first part of the year was of necessity a carry-over from Civil Affairs, Military Administraton. Lt.-Col. Milne of the Royal Scots, who was Quartering Commandant under Civil Affairs, carried on until 24. 6. 46 when his duties were taken over by Lt.-Col. Davies, who in turn handed over to me as Quartering Authority in August. Lt.-Col. Davies continued to assist in this Office until 14. 10. 46. Of the remainder of the senior staff, Capt. G. E. Cadogan-Edwards, Bombay Grenadiers, ceased duty on 9 12. 46; Capt. J. G. Davidson, Royal Scots, ceased duty on 27. 12. 46. Miss Grose, Mr. Eardley and Miss Reid came to the Office respectively, on 23. 8. 46, 25. 11, 46 and 19. 11. 46.
9th July, 1947.
Quartering Authority.